Good Thursday morning! Did you have any knowledge of good before you came to the cross and asked forgiveness to receive the mercy of Christ Jesus? I have quite a few times, I think, pointed out that children do not need to be taught how to lie, cheat, steal, and all of those other bad things that most of us have done in our lives. However, C.S. Lewis makes a good point that the tree was of the knowledge of good and evil. I have tended to point out the evil side, but we have all been born with that legacy from Adam and Eve that is the knowledge of good as well. It is certainly possible to have what is called a 'good' kid. By that we mean a child who chooses to do good more often than evil, and I think most kids are this way. How much the world trains them to lean one way or the other is a matter of circumstance and choice.
The first day of school is a good day to remember that kids can do the right thing when making a decision too. We know this to be true by the many good works people have done though they have not heard the Good New of Jesus Christ. This knowledge of good and evil is what makes cults work. No one would want a collection of folks who did nothing but evil, even the cult leaders aren't that crazy. We are born with the Law of God written on our hearts, both the good and the evil (you might say the Thou Shalt's and the Thou Shalt Not's). Too often we don't obey it. The problem must be deeper than those surface actions of good and evil.
Perhaps before the Holy Spirit is sent to our hearts we have no power to do good consistently and from the right motives. We may only think selfishly until we are saved. But that sounds much like us as we are even right after that moment of salvation. So, if we were not immediately made perfect before God at salvation, how can we have eternal life? We may tend to lump things together such as the removal of the penalty of sin, which we did gain at salvation, and the process of sanctification where we are made perfect before God through trials and suffering.
At the cross, Satan was judged, but we know the penalty has not yet been carried out. At the cross, we the condemned were saved by the removal of our penalty through Jesus Christ, but we have not yet received our reward. To simply let us into Heaven right now would be premature as, at least in my case, I can tell through the knowledge of good and evil that I still have too much capacity for evil. I am saved and forgiven in Christ, but perfect cleansing deep in my innermost thoughts I cannot claim...yet! We who believe in Jesus the Messiah know that one day we will receive that final work of the Spirit that will let us see Jesus face to face. One day, probably that same day, we will have no more knowledge of evil in our hearts. We will be what we desire almost every day in this life - we will be healed by the Master!
Bucky
No comments:
Post a Comment